JUST A BIT MORE

Email: sammi4@earthlink.net
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Little ones for Flight, Reunion, Spare Parts, Sweet Science and Survival
Series/Serial: Nope.
Date completed: May 3, 1999

Disclaimer: I don't own them. That honour belongs to Bilson, DeMeo and Pet Fly. The story is mine though.

Summary: Simon and Blair find that a simple camping trip leads to something more.

I was raised in the East Texas Piney Woods and, though I really abhor nature, I was forced to endure it for things like Girl Scouts and away camps. In some of the areas we stayed, there were little spots set up for people on the trails that provided stuff like blankets and water and sometimes first-aid kits and food. We called them "Wayward's Paradise" because we were told the places were left there so if you lost your way you'd still have hope. Our leader explained that everything was free for the taking as long as it was replaced so that the next "wayward" would have something. I don't know what it's called in other places or if they even have them anywhere else, but I thought it fit nicely with this story.

Oh, yeah, Joseph Tenatcha is the name of my Native American great-great-grandfather. I'm sure he doesn't mind me using him in this way. In fact, from what I understand, he probably would have gotten a hoot off of something like this because he always said he was destined to be written up. I never quite worked up the nerve to ask my grandparents, "What for?"
For everyone who knows me, you know how much I love Simon and think he plays an important role with the guys. So, you guys know where this is coming from. For those that don't know me, what I just said. :-)

This was actually started for last Father's Day, so I'm either very late for that one or a little early for this one.

****Special Thanks **** To Vicki and Sue of the Texas Tribe. Even though they had a terrible week, they still made time to help me out. You're the best ladies!

"Sandburg, will you at least try to keep up! We've got a long hike ahead of us and I would like to get it done before it gets too dark." Captain Simon Banks bellowed as he watched the younger man struggle to catch up.

Blair Sandburg – anthropologist, doctoral candidate, police observer and shaman-extraordinaire to one Jim Ellison, Sentinel – rolled his eyes as he hurried to catch up with his friend's captain – and by default, his as well. "It's not my fault you have such incredibly long legs that just eat up this kind of terrain. You could be a lot more considerate and slow down a little."

The big man harrumphed. "I *am* being considerate; this is slow for me." He looked up at the sky, which he could barely discern from the trees. "Jim's almost as tall as me. What does he do?"

"Do the words 'snail's pace' mean anything to you?"

"Okay, fine. I get the message. We'll take things slow and easy and maybe we'll get to the camping spot before I'm old."

A bit of devilment filled the younger man as he skirted around his friend and hurried forward. "Put like that, I suppose we should really put the pedal to the metal. It's not like you have a whole lot of time left."

A small smile crossed Simon's face, but he was quick to erase it as he followed after the grad student. "Sandburg, when I reach you, not even threats of retaliation from Jim will be able to save you!"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Simon had decided to go easier on his young companion because the kid – and, yes, that's how he saw him when he looked into those eyes so full of life – was still recuperating from an earlier mishap. He knew the young man was trying to pretend everything was normal, but it had been a close call nonetheless. The Captain knew they all carried the mental scars from the ordeal and, though neither Jim nor Blair had said anything, he'd read the reports and he knew the younger man had to deal with some physical ones as well. *Why aren't things ever easy for the kid?* He sighed.

"What are you thinking about, Simon?"

"How I got suckered into dragging you up a mountain."

Blair grinned. *Yeah, sure. That's it. I know that sigh; I've heard it before. You're worrying about me again.* "Oh, so if this is such a burden for you, why are you doing it?"

*Because Jim and I decided you needed some time away. We wanted you to get some colour back in your cheeks and to get you out of that room you had barricaded yourself in.* "I lost the toss."

"Wait a minute, Jim said he lost and that's why he had to stay and deal with the media circus. Did he not tell me everything?"

"Well, I guess he told you the truth, but it's all in how you look at it. He may have to deal with the media, but I'm stuck up here with you for three days before he gets here. Now, tell me again who lost?"

*Oh, please. As if I can't see you hiding that grin. Go ahead and admit it. You like me.* "Point noted." He looked around the small haven and took in the beauty of nature. "This is a great place. It's so beautiful and peaceful. I like it."

Against the older man's better judgement, but not against his heart, he answered, "I'm glad. When I first told Jim about this place and how great it was, I think I had you in mind."

"Really? That is so cool, man. Thanks."

"Well, don't let it go to your head and if you tell anyone I said it – including Jim – I'll have you doing the whole floor's paperwork for the next month. And you know how much you enjoy reading Brown's minuscule scribbling and Rafe's chicken-scratch."

The anthropologist rolled his eyes. "Okay. I get the picture. I won't say a word. Your secret's safe with me."

"And what secret is that?"

"That you really like me."

*I do at that, kid. I do at that.* "Yeah, well, we should be thinking about hitting the trail again. Once we're over that next rise, it's just a bit more to the spot." He turned concerned eyes on the younger man. "You think you're up to it?"

Blair quickly grabbed his pack and stood beside his friend. "Of course. Just lead the way and I'll follow." They started to move. "You know, I once lived with a tribe that …"

Simon shook his head and hid the smile that threatened to break free. *Keep on talking, Blair, and everything'll be fine.*

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"And, your point?" Simon pointed to himself. "I am the authority figure and you and the others are my minions. It is your jobs to do as I say and it's my job to harass you into doing it."

"That makes sense if we were on the job, but this is down time."

Not liking how this was sounding, the older man eyed his companion warily. "Uh huh."

"And during down time, unless lives are at stake, you really can't just assume the authority position. I mean, out here, we're equals and equals don't go around demanding things with threats of retaliations."

"So?"

"So, in the spirit of equality, I'm gonna tell Jim exactly what you said and let him know how soft you're getting in your old age - and there's nothing you can do about it!" Blair shouted laughingly as he made a mad scramble up the path in the hopes of avoiding the larger man's wrath.

For a man his size, Simon had amazing reflexes and before too long, he was in pursuit of his friend, threatening dire consequences in the midst of his own laughter.

They had just reached the rise when it happened. They'd been arguing about some point secure in the knowledge all was right in their little corner of the world. Neither had noticed the concealed markers because neither of them had Sentinel sight. But, it didn't take Sentinel touch or hearing to tell them something was wrong when the first explosion hit.

Both men were knocked off the path as the earth around them rolled. Blair was barely able to grab hold of one of the smaller trees that hadn't been uprooted when he felt the second explosion rock the area. He watched in silent horror as his friend slid over the slope and his last thought before another of the trees decided to bury him was, *Simon!*

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Slowly, Blair pulled himself free of the confining branches until he could lean on another of the still-standing trees. The sight that greeted him had him gasping at more than the twinge in his side.

Where beautiful, majestic trees had once stood and plants and flowers had sprung from the earth like a natural patchwork, gaping holes of dirt and blackened matter now resided. As he adjusted his blurred sight, he could tell that for as far as he could see nothing lived. *Why? What could possibly possess someone to destroy something like this?*

While the larger part of his mind tried to grasp what he was seeing, a smaller part kept niggling at him trying to get him to remember something or someone… "Simon! Oh, god, no!"

He turned his aching body towards the slope he'd seen his friend go over and he slowly crawled his way to the spot. Almost out of breath, he could ill afford the gasp that wrestled its way past his lips at yet another horrible sight. The larger man was sprawled over what looked like a natural rock bed and, by the angles of his left leg as well as the rest of his body, he wasn't in the best of shape.

As carefully as he could, Blair manoeuvred himself down the slope until he was beside his unconscious captain and with shaking hands, checked for vitals he prayed were there.

"Yes!" He shouted, though his head protested, as he felt the strong beat through his fingertips. "I should have known you wouldn't let something like a couple of explosions bring you down. You're made of stronger stuff than that aren't you, Simon?" Though he hoped for an answer, he really didn't expect one. It would probably be for the best - for the next few minutes anyway - while he checked him for injuries. From his own previous experiences, he knew what was about to follow would hurt like hell.

"Man, you are going to be one gigantic owie when you wake up. I'd hate to be in your shoes," Blair mumbled while he finished.

"You wouldn't fit … in them … any-anyway, Sandburg."

"Simon!"

"You … don't … have to shout; I'm broken, not deaf." Pain-filled eyes slowly drifted half-open and squinted up at the observer. "If there were roads up … here, I'd ask you if you … got the name of the truck that … hit us." He tried to sit up, "Damn! This hurts."

"Well, of course it hurts, you were just blown up." Ripping a torn piece of his shirt off, the smaller man moved closer to his friend's head and started wiping the sweat off his brow. "You're lucky to even be alive. When I saw you go over, all I could think was what would I tell Daryl? Or Jim? It was not a fun experience, man." He shook his head. "For a minute there, I thought I'd lost you … and…"

The captain was amazed to see the small teardrops racing down the expressive face. *This must have scared him more than I thought.* He reached out his undamaged right hand and weakly wiped at the tears. "I'm okay. Just a little banged up, but nothing we can't handle."

"I know, but I just can't shake the fact that you're hurt and you're stuck out here with someone like me."

"And there's a problem in that because?" The older man was stunned that after all his time with Ellison, the kid still didn't think too highly of himself. "Look, I may grouse and complain about you, but, in a pinch, there's no one outside of Jim and Joel I trust more with my life." Looking his friend directly in the eye and willing him to believe him, "I have complete faith that you'll get us out of here and nothing will change that."

As if someone had turned on a switch, Blair's whole countenance changed and his strong will reasserted itself. Knowing how much Simon valued him was exactly what he needed and now he knew he couldn't let the other big guy in his life down. With his best "take charge" manner, the anthropologist started outlining the priorities, "First, we need to get your wounds tended and your arm and leg set, then we need to find some shelter."

"Is my pack still accessible?" Seeing the puzzled frown. "I packed a lot of extra first aid supplies knowing who I was going to spend almost a week with. If it is around, we can use those on me and save your kit for anything else that might crop up."

"I just hope you're wanting to be extra prepared and not warning of things to come. I don't think we could handle any more mishaps."

Simon cocked an eyebrow and tried to contain the disbelieving snort that would probably hurt like hell. "And what quadrant of the Sandburg Zone are you living in? Between you, me and Ellison, we couldn't get into more trouble if somebody wrote us that way. There is no such thing as 'extra' precaution for us." He tried to turn his head to catch a glimpse of his pack, but all he managed was a moan he felt all the way to his unbroken toes. "Do you think we could hurry the tending along? I'm starting to feel a little out of it here."

As quickly as his painful bruises allowed, Blair located both packs and set to work on Simon's injuries. In his hopes to keep the larger man's thoughts off of what he was doing, he started asking some of the questions that had been plaguing him since he'd awakened after the explosions. "So, how did you find this trail and our camping spot again? This doesn't seem like something you'd just spot on a map."

"You're right, it isn't. This is Native American land."

"But, don't you need like special permission to stay on *Indigenous People's* property?"

"Yeah, (gasp) you do. One of my friends, Joe Tenatcha, is a local Tribal Elder and he okayed (groan) us coming up here and also told me the best place to set up camp."

"So, if he knew we were coming up this week, why'd he send us to a spot that was set to be blasted?"

Simon had really started to sweat by this time and they hadn't even made it around to setting his broken bones. *If I didn't know for a fact he was flinching every time I had a pain, I'd think he was deliberately roughing those spots to get back at me for giving him a hard time.* "There's nothing (gasp) on this planet that would convince me Joe had anything to do with this blasting. This is his people's protected and sacred land; they value it too much."

"Yeah, and the damage is something that probably won't be remedied for years." Blair shook the sweat from his own face. "But, if they didn't do it, who did?"

"Who knows, Sandburg. I suppose there are any number of factions who would like to see this prime piece of land turned into something they consider worthwhile. It'd probably be a shorter list to try to figure out who *wouldn't* want to exploit this area." He tried to take a deep breath, but the pain stopped him short. "Uh, I'm … not trying to … hurry you … or any-anything, but … are we about ready to-to start work on the broken stuff? They're about to …drive m-me nuts."

Earlier, when he had gone for the packs, Sandburg had grabbed a few sticks that he thought would make good splints. He had silently dreaded this part, but he knew there was no way he could possibly move the larger man without the bones being set – and move they had to. It hadn't escaped Blair's notice that the supposedly "clear all weekend" sky had been steadily growing overcast. With the way things were looking, they might have a couple of hours of decent weather before who knows what hit. He only hoped he'd have them someplace secure prior to that happening.

*I'm not going to let him down when he needs me the most. * "I suppose there's no time like the present." Blair pulled out his Swiss Army Knife and cut one of the leather strands off of his pack. "I know this isn't the cleanest in the world, but it'll give you something to bear down on when the pain gets to be too intense."

"Wait … is-isn't that what … they … used in old …we-westerns when they had … to extract bullets and … arrows?"

"You got a better idea?"

Simon Banks was a smart man at the best of times and over the years, he'd realised he was an even smarter man at the worst of times. So, when faced with this dilemma, he chose to open wide and bear (down on) it. "Go on and give me the damn thing so we can get on with this."

"You're the Captain."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

With another glance at the growing darkness of the sky, he decided to awaken him so they could find some type of shelter as soon as possible. "Simon, come on. It's time to wake up," he uttered as he gently tapped the captain's face.

"G' way."

"I can't. The sky isn't looking real good at the moment, which means we probably need to find shelter as soon as we can. I know you're hurting and just want to sleep, but our options are steadily decreasing here." He took a deep breath and decided to take the bull – er, Banks – by the horns. "So, unless you want to die of exposure or worse, I suggest you do whatever it takes to get your ass ready to move out in the next ten minutes!"

Simon glared at the man for several of those minutes and Blair's terrified breathing kept the time. The observer almost missed the sudden change that came over his companion's face, so he was very surprised when the captain meekly answered, "Okay. You're in charge."

"Uh, … ok-okay." He carefully helped Banks sit up wincing almost as much as his friend at the pain the movement was causing.

"Are we just going to head off blindly in the hopes we might stumble onto something? Because, if we are, I think I should probably warn you, I'm not going to make it very far."

"I saw what looked like some stone structures, like an outcropping or something, when I was gathering stuff for your splints. They didn't look too far away and I was hoping we could make it." Hopeful blue eyes met pain-filled brown ones. "I thought if you leaned on me a bit, it wouldn't be so bad."

Banks stared into the eyes of his friend and basked in the determination he saw in their depths. He nodded to his companion and offered the best smile he could considering the circumstances. "Sounds like a good plan, Sandburg." Looking up at the sky. "We probably should be getting a move on; my ten minutes are pretty much up."

Blair squatted beside his captain and carefully raised the uninjured arm to his shoulder while his arm circled the larger man's waist. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to count to three and, together, we're going to stand. We'll take it slow; I'm sure it's not going to feel good." He helped Simon position his good leg for leverage. "You ready?" Seeing the nod, he winced in anticipation of the act. "One … two … " He took a deep breath. "Three."

After several long minutes, both men were standing – albeit a little unsteadily, but standing.

"See," the anthropologist panted. "That wasn't so bad. I knew …"

The return of his older comrade's glare was enough to stop that train of thought. "D-don't push your … luck, Sandburg. If you expect us … to-to get anywhere, I'd suggest you … start leading."

"Gotcha." Looking up into eyes that looked back with total trust and faith caused him to make a promise. "I do have you and I'll do everything to make sure you're safe."

"I know you will, Blair. I know you will."

"Good. Just lean on me and we'll be there in no time."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"G-gotta stop. Can't g-go any … any further." Simon staggered to a stop and started falling.

"Simon!" The observer did his best to keep the two of them upright, but they went down hard. As he struggled to sit up, the storm broke drenching them in seconds. "Aww, man, this *cannot* be happening!" Shaking the larger man, he urged "Come on, Simon. We've got to keep going. This isn't good for either one of us."

"Go on … ahead. Can't d-do … more."

"No. I'm not leaving you like this. You need me here with you to take care of you."

"Wa-wasn't talking … about for-forever. Ju-just wanted … you to … check how much … farther?"

"Oh," Sandburg sheepishly replied. "Sorry. Guess I should have thought of that." He looked around for a stable place to shield his friend and found a tree with one of it's sides almost completely charred. He shook his head at the damage leftover from the explosions, amazed that the blasts had reached this area. "Simon, I'm gonna need your help to move you over to this tree. It'll shield you from most of the rain. You think you can do it?" He could just barely make out the nod, but he could hardly miss the almost desperate push from the exhausted body. After several minutes, the captain was leaning heavily on the tree and Blair was gasping beside him. "I … hope … you don't mind … the smell of burnt, wet tree … because I don't think we … have any … more options for you right now." When he received no response, he turned to find the other man unconscious.

With a quick pull on his dwindling strength, he stood. "I know that shelter can't be too much farther. I promise I'll be back for you as soon as I find it. Just enjoy your nap and the time will go by before you know it."

Blair quickly turned back in the direction he'd seen the structure and stepped into the downpour. He focused everything he had on finding that shelter because he knew his friend was depending on him and he couldn't – wouldn't – let him down.

Though he stumbled several times and his head had decided to house an all-percussion band, it seemed like he came across the structures in no time. He barely controlled the sob of thanks to whatever deities were looking out for him when he checked and found not just an overhang, but a small cave. Inside, he found blankets, a few non-perishable foodstuffs, wood and jugs of fresh water.

*Either my luck's changing or somebody somewhere really likes me. * Totally ignoring the torrential rains coming down outside of the haven, the young man quickly made his way back to the spot where he'd left his friend. *If somebody is listening and really does like me, all I ask is that you please not let Simon die.*

As he came to the tree, he could see the larger man had slumped onto his side and he winced at the painful position. "Come on, Simon, that can't be a comfortable place," he murmured softly to the injured man as he carefully raised him back to a sitting position. "I've found us a spot that's nice and dry and it even has food and water. Granted, it's not the Cascade Grand Hotel, but I think it'll suit us until we can get out of here. It's just big enough for two people – even if one is your size. Not that I'm saying you're big, but compared to the small space I take up…"

"Sandburg," Simon moaned. "You're babbling."

The biggest, brightest smile in the Sandburg arsenal hit the injured captain with so much force, he had to lean back. Obviously the younger man had been expecting the worst. "Nice to see you're still with me, Simon. I thought for sure you'd dumped me for dryer pastures."

"And miss … the … chance to va-vacation with … you? Ne-never."

"That's good to hear." Pushing his wet hair out of his face, he nodded his head in the direction he'd just returned from. "You think with my help you can make it to the shelter?"

"I-I think so as … long as y-you don't try to r-run any marathons."

"Hey, who was asking for a snail's pace earlier? Do I look like I'm up for any marathons?"

Simon grinned, "Actually, you look like shit, Sandburg."

"Yeah, I love you too, Simon." Shaking his head, "Why is it your speech is so much better when you're insulting me?"

"Maybe c-cause it's a sub-subject I can get into."

Blair helped his friend to stand trying to ignore the moans of pain and gasps coming from the larger man. "Yeah, yeah. Between you and Jim, I'm lucky I don't have a complex." They started to move - slowly. "You guys are bad for a person's ego."

"Not really. W-we only … say stuff like … that s-so you won't kn-know … how much we care."

The younger man faltered for just a second at the softly uttered words and a gentle warmth flowed through him knowing they were sincere. Not wanting his friend to feel uncomfortable from the admission, he covered by asking, "You're delirious, aren't you?"

Simon snorted – or the extremely painful equivalent. "Unlike y-your partner, I-I haven't had a pro-problem saying what I mean sin-since I was four. I know what I said, Blair." Trying to look around as much as his injuries would allow, "How much further? I'm not sure…"

"Just a bit more, Simon," he answered as he tightened his grip around his friend. Whether he did it to make sure the older man didn't stumble or because it made him feel closer to his companion, Blair held on for dear life and refused to give up until they were both okay.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Uh-uh. No way, Sandburg. I-I'm n-not that kind of boy." The captain tried to roll a bit to his side, but soon had to give up as his body protested. "N-not without din-dinner and a movie f-first."

Blair groaned at the bad joke and quickly began removing what was left of the older man's clothes. "You're so easy, Banks. Most of my dates hold out for at least our second or third meeting."

As his shirt was carefully ripped the rest of the way off, Simon snorted. "Yeah, l-like at … my age I c-could afford to wait."

"You're not that old – contrary to how you and Jim play it." Blair shook his head as he tried to get a good grip on the wet and dirty T-shirt that had been exposed. "You guys act like you're ancient and have one foot in the grave."

"Probably be-because with what we-we've seen, it feels like it."

"Yeah, well. I don't like it. Sort of creeps me out, ya know?" He fell back as Simon's pants finally gave way. "Man, could those have been any tighter?"

Simon chuckled in between his grunts of pain. "Rain, … Sandburg. Must have shrunk them."

"Uh huh, try pulling the other one, Banks." Blair started gathering items they would need and dragging them closer. He unfolded several of the dusty insulated blankets and wrapped them gently around his companion hoping they would help. He'd been praying the tremors he'd been feeling in his friend's body were from the cold and not from anything worse, but, as they increased, so did his fears. Trying to lighten his own mood and hopefully help keep Simon's mind off of the situation, Blair's tone took on a more cultured air. "So sorry about the accommodations, but the brochure painted quite a different picture."

The older man had recognised the ploy for what it was and decided to go along with it for Blair's sake. "I d-did try to w-warn … you about those dis-disreputable travel brokers. They a-always p-promise … you big and y-you us-usually end up with a c-cave." As his friend let loose a small laugh, Simon caught the barely hidden shiver that wracked the smaller body. "Blair, for-forget about m-me for a bit. You … need t-to get out of those w-wet clothes as well."

"I'm okay, Simon," he answered as he tucked one of the blankets tighter around his companion's shoulders. "Don't worry about me. Just keep thinking healthy thoughts and everything will be fine."

Blair almost fell back in shock when the uninjured hand shot out from the covering and grasped his arm with a surprising strength. "That's nonsense. Of course … I'm gonna worry. I can't shut it off with you any more than I can with Daryl."

"But, he's your son."

"Yeah, and?" As the last of his strength gave out, Simon reluctantly released the arm and fell back the small distance to the ground. "Blair, … contrary to what you … may think and what I've led you to be-believe, I do care – a lot. You're my friend."

"Yeah, by default. If it hadn't been for Jim…"

"I might not have met you, but Jim's not the reason … I planned this trip or why I … worry just as much as he does when you're late … or why I pace the floors with him when you're hurt." The captain sighed as the last of his tremors died away. "Sandburg, you stopped being just Jim's 'pal' when you jumped out of a plane for me and Daryl – you can't know how much that meant to me especially since I barely associated with you. I started seeing you as more of a friend after you helped Jim get me out of that mess after Peggy's murder – you never doubted me. I could understand that from Ellison, but what did you really know about me? And let's not even get into that whole fiasco with Quinn and your getting shot."

Simon quieted for a few minutes, gathering some of his strength back. Blair frowned, worrying that his friend was doing too much. "You should be resting, not talking. You need to conserve your strength - who knows how long we'll be here."

"No, I need to say this. I've held back long enough. You deserve to know," Simon explained, his voice sounding slightly stronger. "I can't really put a finger on when exactly I started considering you my friend, but I can tell you when I first started to admire you. It was right after the Lash incident. When you showed up in that squad room, smiling and laughing and seeming to forget how we all let you down by allowing him to get close, a lot of us – me, especially – saw you in a whole new light. From that point on, my respect for you grew until everything I said - first to your mother and then to you after your friend was killed - I believed."

To say Blair was stunned would have been the understatement of the century. "But, when I tried to say something…"

Simon shrugged as best he could and bit back the grunt of pain that threatened at the simple action. "What can I say? In sports, the military and police hierarchies image is everything. I couldn't let anyone know that a long-haired anthropologist had wormed his way into my heart."

"Into your heart? Whoa, man, I can accept your liking me and the friendship thing, but … you put me right in there with Daryl."

"Yeah, well. I suppose when we're all razzing Jim about his mother hen routine, we can lump me in there with my father hen…"

"Wouldn't that be father *rooster*? I mean, you gotta keep those gender roles straight for all the offspring, right?" Blair interrupted with a grin.

The older man glared his best glare and then quickly lost it when he saw it was having no effect on his grinning companion. "Father *rooster* thing, then! Whatever we call it, still amounts to the same thing. You're not just *a* kid to me – you're like *my* kid with all of the joys and pains that go with it." Suddenly remembering what had started this whole soul-baring discussion, his glare returned. "So, if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of those wet clothes now before I have to get up off my sickbed and get them off of you!"

Sandburg's grin grew and threatened to become a full-fledged smile as he quickly started undressing. "Yes, sir!" He had to refrain from offering a mock salute and settled for a struggle with his own wet jeans. Once he was finished and wrapped in a blanket, Blair just couldn't resist all of the temptation that was churning inside him. "So, Simon, does this mean I can call you *Dad*?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After the earlier confession, the younger man had allowed his friend to take a short nap while he sat about fixing them some food. He had grown a little concerned with the effort it had taken to awaken the captain and so he'd decided that a conversation was the best solution.

"No." Simon gave a self-derisive laugh that ended on a cough. "Act-actually, I started out intending to become a lawyer."

"You're kidding, right? With the disdain you show for that profession, *you* wanted to be one of them?!"

"I only have disdain for the bad ones. There are a few lawyers I respect – not many, but a few." He shifted a bit uncomfortably. "I was on the debate team all during high school and for as long as I could remember, everyone was telling me what a wonderful lawyer I'd make. So, I got a scholarship to college, graduated with honours after three years straight through and managed to garner enough funds to get me into Pepperdine."

Blair almost jumped from his spot. "You got accepted to Pepperdine?!"

"Why do you sound so amazed? Just because I don't follow the latest trends in the anthropological world, doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"I never said you were stupid, Simon, I just…"

"It's okay, Sandburg." The big man answered as he tried to take a deep breath. "I didn't expect you to know my background, so no hard feelings." He cleared his throat hoping that would help. "Besides… over the years it just became easier to hide all that stuff so that I'd be accepted as just one of the guys. I mean, just ask Jim. He has his degree and he doesn't flaunt it or make mention of it because it makes things easier at the station."

"Yeah, it's only been recently that degrees have been expected in police officers rather than a bonus." Blair sighed. "So, what changed your mind? Why'd you give up a possibly set future to walk the thin blue line?"

Simon almost managed a honest-to-goodness laugh. "You know, Joan wondered that exact same thing many times. When we got married, she was sure I was destined to be this great international business lawyer and instead, I gave it all up to walk a beat possibly for the rest of my life." He paused in his remembrances. "All I could tell her was some other students and I were studying in one of these little cafes when we watched this group of guys start hassling a bunch of school kids who just happened to be mostly black. As the meddling continued, one of the guys and I were just about to go and help when we saw a police car pull up in front of the cafe. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the officers stepped out."

"And because they helped those kids, you decided to become a police officer."

The older man just shook his head and frowned. "They looked over, saw what was happening and kept right on walking into the cafe. Snoddy and I ended up going out there and busting up the mess, but not before they broke one of the little girl's arms."

"But I don't understand."

"I didn't give up all of that to become an officer because of something someone did – I joined the force because of something they didn't do. I didn't want to look up and see one of my kids being brought home from the hospital because somebody who was sworn to protect them decided they weren't worth their trouble. I didn't want that for anyone's kids. So, I went back to the school, talked to my advisor, apologised to a few of my law professors and went home to tell Joan. She seemed to understand back then, but…"

Blair looked at his friend with a new admiration and respect as he finished his story. He knew the decision hadn't been as easy as Simon had made it out to be, but the captain rarely made a big deal out of the choices he'd made in his life. Tucking the blankets that had been displaced by the larger man's movements back around the broad shoulders, Sandburg gave them a little squeeze to let him know he did understand. "It was her loss, Simon. Definitely, her loss."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Once he realised his friend was in trouble, Blair quickly checked the man's injuries and reached for one of the jugs of water, hoping he could cool him down. "I can't believe I fell asleep!" Using what was left of his shirt, he poured some of the water on it and started wiping down his feverish friend. "I'm so sorry, Simon. You never would have gotten this bad off if I'd just been able to stay awake."

Instead of the motions calming the captain, his tossing and thrashing increased which seemed almost impossible considering the injuries he'd sustained. The more Blair tried to soothe the man, the more the demons fought to keep their hold. Pained comments and cries filled the small space almost as if Simon were waging a verbal battle as well as a physical one.

Occasionally, Blair could understand a few of the words as he wiped down his friend, but they only added to his guilt. He was able to pick out "Quinn," "Galileo," "Lash," "Golden," and "fire" clearly in the constant ramblings and it tore him apart that the demons Simon was fighting were the ones that the older man knew still haunted Blair. They were the ones where both Simon and Jim felt the most helpless – where their hands were completely tied. He'd known that Jim still wrestled with his inability to protect Blair - they'd talked on a few occasions - but he'd never suspected the Captain felt the same way.

As the thrashing escalated, Simon seemed to become angrier and the younger man grew terrified of the possible damage his friend was causing himself. Without thought, he dropped the cloth he'd been using to cool the captain down and threw himself over the larger man, hoping his weight would be enough to stop the violent movement.

After a while, Blair realised the movements were settling and he was finally able to catch his breath and assess himself. Once he was sure he was none the worse for wear and had managed to make sure Simon hadn't hurt himself further, the young observer gave into his feelings of exhaustion – not even moving away from his companion – and drifted back into a needed sleep.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Mr. Sanders," A voice called out to Blair. "It's time to wake up." A gentle shake followed this statement and the younger man smiled softly and waved the motion off as he tried to return to his peaceful sleep. "Mr. Sanders, wake up!" This time, the words were followed by a small slap that had Blair sitting up in a defensive position.

"What?!" He cried as he looked around the small, cramped space trying to get his bearings.

"Good, you're awake. I was worried that I had two seriously injured men on my hands."

As Blair's eyes finally focused on the man in front of him, his mind promptly noted the man's looks just like Jim had taught him. Around six feet, with a few streaks of silver interspersed throughout his jet-black, straight hair, their would-be saviour looked to be about Jim's age because of his lack of wrinkles, but his dark eyes showed a wisdom that screamed he was older - possibly older than Banks.

With that thought, his still foggy head returned to his friend's situation. "Oh god, Simon!" He quickly turned back to his unconscious friend and started trying to determine his condition. "We were caught in an explosion and I had to set his broken bones and then it started to rain and I had to get him to shelter and I finally found it and brought him here and then he fell asleep and he started having these horrible night terrors and he wouldn't stop moving and I…"

Noticing Sandburg's growing distress, the stranger reached out a weathered brown hand and placed it on the younger man's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm sure you've done everything you could. Now, it's up to us to do the rest." He smiled. "You did good, Mr. Sanders. You did real good. Simon couldn't have asked for better."

Still groggy, the anthropologist barely registered the comment as he leaned back against the wall of the cave suddenly exhausted. Searching the other man's eyes and finding only kindness and concern, Blair gave in to his body's demands secure in the knowledge that he and Simon were safe and would be taken care of and started to succumb to the siren song of sleep. Just as his eyelids drifted to rest on his dirty cheek, he mumbled, "It's Sandburg, but you can call me Blair. You've kind of earned it."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Blair, if you don't sit down, I'm gonna call the nice nurses in to restrain you," Blair's rescuer warned the hyper grad student. "You're not doing anyone any good by pacing and it's definitely not going to get you in to see Simon any sooner."

"I know, Joe, but I just can't calm down. My mind's running twenty different ways to Sunday and my hands," which hadn't been idle since they had made it to the hospital, "won't be still. I feel like … I'm out of control and I'm letting Simon down."

The darkly handsome Amerindian stood, moved into the younger man's path and reached out his arms to stop him. "Let's get one thing straight here and now. You did not let Simon down back in the woods and you are not letting him down now. The doctors all agree that if you hadn't been there, my friend would not be alive right now."

"Yeah, but did I do enough?"

"You did your best and that's always enough." When Blair didn't seem to hear him, Joe shook his head in exasperation. "Now I see why you guys are friends. Your guilt complexes feed off of each other."

That grabbed Blair's attention. "Guilt complexes?"

"Yes, guilt complexes. Iye is notorious for them." Joe gently guided the younger man back to the bed and helped him get comfortable. "The first time I met him, he was part of a security detail protecting a rally the local tribes had set up. Several racist groups had threatened violence and the mayor at the time considered himself a friend of my people and offered us protection." He pulled his chair closer to Blair and sat. "At the time, I was fairly young and pretty damn cocky and I didn't want to believe a bunch of city cops would care what happened to us. So, I gathered up several of my friends and we established our own patrol." Shaking his head, Joe smiled sadly. "If I had realised how my act would be perceived by this group, I never would have done it, but…"

"So, what happened?"

"Everything was going okay until about five hours into the program when this large group of guys showed up. I'd been introduced to Simon earlier that day and I was impressed with the kind of man he was, but in my mind he wasn't one of us so I didn't let him know when the guys arrived. Point of fact, outside of my patrol, I didn't let anyone know." He sighed. "Anyway, I told them they weren't welcome there and that they could leave peacefully or we'd make them leave. They didn't take too well to that and they got angry. With my attention focused on them, I failed to notice that some of our young people were playing games not too far from us and that a small group of the men had moved into threatening positions around them. Fighting between my group and the others broke out and we were pretty evenly matched until the police reinforcements broke us up.

"Neither of the groups that were fighting had suffered any serious injuries, but…" Joe closed his eyes, deep in the memory. "Like I said, four of the men had separated from the big group and flanked the children. When the fighting broke out, they each grabbed a child and started running. What they didn't know - I didn't realise, either - was that Simon had caught my signals and he sent for backup. He alerted his fellow officers to break us up, then he and another officer set off after the four. He took down one of the four guys and was closing in on another. The guy figured he was pretty much trapped, so he turned to face Simon and broke the little boy's neck right in front of him." He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "I heard it took about seven officers to pull Simon off of the killer and even then it took about three more to keep him off.

"When I finally made it over to them and had seen to the parents of the child, Simon seemed almost broken. He kept apologising for letting us down. My group and I were amazed at how much he was hurting over the loss of a child he didn't even know."

Blair could only nod. "He's like that. It's a side of him he tries to keep hidden, but he really does care about people."

"Well, needless to say, he impressed us – especially when we found out that he had been injured during his first fight and ignored it to go after the second man." Joe shook his head again and chuckled. "Several of us visited him in the hospital and he wouldn't even look us in the eye. He just wouldn't believe he hadn't let us down. Even after all these years, I still don't think he believes it.

"So, my friends and I set out on a mission of gratitude and gratefulness. As soon as he was up and about, we kidnapped him and his family and brought them to our home. Our tribe, and I in particular, adopted him and granted him all the rights and privileges of a cherished son and brother."

"And you named him. I mean, you called him Iye earlier." The younger man couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice. "What does it mean?"

Joe smiled his most mischievous smile. "Smoke."

All the possibilities of what the name represented flashed through Blair's head and he almost couldn't wait to see if the one he picked was correct. "Ah, obviously a cultural representation of his skin colour as well as his stealth in taking down not one but two men at the rally."

That did it. Joe couldn't stop the guffaw of laughter that broke free. "Not hardly. It was because even then that damn cigar smoke was everywhere!"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"When did Jim say he'd be here, Joe?"

The older man put down his newspaper and glared at his charge. "One hour less than the last time you asked."

"Oh, sorry." A fidgety pause, then, "What's taking him so long?"

*Ten seconds. The kid really is getting worse.* "Remember, I told you that the explosions caused some major damage and the storm afterwards only added to it. Since the weather had just hit Cascade after I called your friend, he couldn't find anything to get him up here until tomorrow morning."

"Oh boy. He's probably grinding his molars to nubs right about now." Blair shook his head. "Jim is not going to be a happy camper in the morning."

"Good, so we'll have a complete set. You haven't exactly made me too happy lately." The Elder stood and moved over to the bed rearranging the covers that Sandburg kept disturbing. "Has it slipped your mind that you too were injured yesterday? Granted, your head may be hard, but you still sustained a concussion *and* some pretty bruised ribs. The doctors are keeping you here for observation and to make sure you get rest, but you're not cooperating." Joe glared down at the smaller man hoping his size would convince him. "Please Blair, for your sake and mine, cooperate."

Holding up his hands in surrender, Sandburg tried to appease his companion. "Okay, man. I get the picture. I'm just gonna chill over here and try to rest up my eyes a bit. I won't say another word." Gratefully, the Amerindian nodded and turned back to his chair grabbing his newspaper and preparing for a nice, quiet re… "So, why were you guys blasting up in that area? And why was it done so haphazardly?"

Joe shook his head as he settled into his seat. *Well, at least I should be grateful he's asking different questions.* "We weren't." He couldn't help but catch the surprised look Blair sent his way. "The clearing of that area was not authorised by the Tribal Council. Though we'd had offers, there was no way we were going to give up that land."

"So, if you guys didn't blast, who did?"

"I didn't say we didn't blast. I said it wasn't authorised." The older man closed his eyes, took a deep breath and held it for a while before slowly releasing it. "My people and I owe you and Iye a tremendous apology." He opened his eyes giving Blair a glimpse into his soul. "Several of our young people decided that the land was not benefiting our people properly and they took it upon themselves to fix that mistake. They were the ones who set up the explosions without any regards to the area – or who might be in it." Joe's face was a picture of remorse. "If I had even an inkling of what was going on, I would have never sent you and Simon up there."

Now, it was Blair's turn to help. "Hey, it wasn't your fault. Like you said, you didn't know. And as soon as you realised what had gone down, you raced up there to find us. You saved Simon's life. I don't want to think what could have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"I appreciate your saying that, but, in this case, my guilt is justified." Joe stood and walked to the window. "The group of young people was headed by my younger brother. I knew he hadn't been happy about a lot of the Council's decisions and I knew he was organising something, but I just couldn't be bothered to find out what." The tiniest shiver coursed through the man's frame as he looked out into the night. "Now, my friend has been hurt and my people are mourning the loss of the land that was a part of our souls." He turned back towards the young man. "This burden cannot rest on anyone else but me."

"That's where you're wrong, Joe. The only ones who should feel guilty are your brother and his friends. They, not you, set off those charges. They, not you, didn't take into account any of the land surveys. *They,* and they alone, are responsible."

Joe couldn't help but smile at the sincerity pouring off the young man. "Thank you. I didn't know how much I needed to hear that until you said it." He moved closer to the bed. "Now, I understand why Iye is so taken with you. You , Daryl and Jim are just about all he talks about. Though I am going to have to talk to him about his pronunciations. I could have sworn he said 'Sanders' instead of 'Sandburg.'"

At the mention of his friend, the worry returned full force to Blair's eyes. "Have the doctors said any more?"

"No. The last thing I heard was he was out of surgery and doing okay. They were really watching him for signs of infection and he hadn't awakened yet."

"I don't like this, Joe. If everything was fine, why haven't they said more?" He started to get up. "I'm gonna go demand some answers."

Joe put both his hands on Blair's shoulders preventing him from moving any further. "You're not going anywhere. The doctors said they wanted you to rest so you're going to rest." He released the younger man when he felt him relax somewhat. "*I'll* go and do the demanding. I'm a little concerned myself and I want to make sure they are doing everything for him." He started to turn and head for the door, but a little noise stopped him. Catching sight of the anthropologist moving his covers as if to follow, Joe glared at the younger man until the covers were back in place. "You'd better still be in that exact spot when I get back or there'll be hell to pay."

Blair nodded and watched the older man leave. When he was sure Joe was far enough from the door, he carefully got out of the bed and started to pace. "There's already gonna be hell to pay. Jim's gonna kill me when I bring Simon back broken. Granted, it wasn't my fault we just happened to hike into a blasting zone and that the trip wasn't even my idea. He still told me to watch out for the captain just like he told Simon to watch out for me. And what about Daryl? He's gonna come back from his trip with his mother and find out that I let his dad get blown up and caught in the storm of the century. He's never gonna trust me with his dad again. And Joel's not gonna be too happy cause he was counting on Simon to help him with that Big Brothers field trip next weekend. Bout the only people that are gonna be okay with any of this are Brown cause he won the bet on who was going end up in the hospital and Megan cause she'll get the chance to nurse Simon back to health." He stopped at mid-pace and chuckled as he pictured Connor as Banks' Florence Nightingale. "Whoa, that would definitely insure Simon would get better really fast."

A sound in the hall brought the observer back to the present and had him practically jumping back into the bed and covering himself up. By the time Joe had stepped completely into the room, Blair was leaning back on his pillows just like before. "That was quick. What'd you find out?"

Joe cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why are you breathing so hard?"

"Cause you scared me, man. Sheesh! You tell me to rest and then when I finally feel myself drifting off, you barrel back in here giving me the third degree. Why shouldn't I be breathing heavy?!"

Tenatcha wasn't buying it. "Uh huh."

"Well, uh, anyway, what'd you find out?"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't get the chance to find out anything. As soon as I stepped out the door, one of the other Elders got my attention and informed me that my brother and his group are demanding time in front of the Council. I was able to flag down a nurse and ask her to let you know about Simon, but that's all." Sadly, "I'm sorry, Blair."

"It's okay. I understand. So, are you leaving?"

"Unfortunately. According to our laws, the accused has the right to call the Council in order to offer a defence to the charges. Which means, I have to be there." Joe frowned. "I hate to leave you like this, but if I'm not there, there could be problems and I don't want my people put through any more." He placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Are you going to be okay? If you like, I can get one of my cousins to come sit with you and keep you company?"

Blair sat up straighter in the bed and shook his head. "That's not necessary. I'll be okay – especially once I know how Simon is. Besides, Jim will be here in a little while and he'll be *plenty* of company." He smiled at the man. "Thanks a lot for coming and getting us. I owe you."

Joe clasped the other man's hand in his and shook it firmly. "Then consider us even cause you kept him going up there." He released the hand and headed for the door, stopping and turning back to Sandburg as he opened it. "If Iye should wake before I get back, tell him his 'big brother' will expect him to recuperate a while with the tribe. And if he gives you any grief about it, tell him I'll show up wherever he goes and haul his ass back here tied across my saddle." He winked at his new friend. "He'll know I'll do it cause I've done it before." Joe tipped an imaginary hat. "Take care, Blair Sandburg, and don't be a stranger."

Again, Blair waited until he was sure the older man was far enough away before getting out of bed. As quickly as his bruised body would let him, he went to the closet area and pulled down another hospital gown putting it on like a jacket. "Now that my bodyguard has been recalled and my backside won't be debuting, I'm gonna find out exactly what's going on with Simon and not a damn thing's gonna stop me." Quietly, he pulled open his door and looked out into the hall. "Just hold on a bit more, Simon, cause the cavalry's a coming."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He'd heard Joe talking to one of the nurses over the phone after Simon's surgery and he'd found out his friend's room number from the call. If the signs on the wall were correct, he was seconds away from finding out first-hand how his captain was. Five more steps and he'd be there. Four. Three. Two. O…

"And what do you think you're doing?" A female voice demanded from behind him.

Blair whirled around and found himself face-to-face with the meanest looking nurse he'd ever seen. "Uh, I was checking up on Simon Banks. We were brought in together this morning and no one would tell me how he was."

The woman, whose nametag read 'Ratchett,' glared at the now quaking figure and reached for his arm, glancing at the armband. "Well, Mr. Sandburg. I'm sorry that you walked all this way for nothing, but the hospital policy is no visitors for surgical patients unless they are family," the woman gave him a feral smile, "and *you* do *not* fall under that heading."

Sandburg couldn't believe he was this close and was about to have everything snatched away from him just because this head cuckoo was on a power trip. Summoning all of his strength, he squared his shoulders and used his best 'Jim-Ellison-and-Simon-Banks-with-a-little-Naomi-Sandburg-thrown-in-for-good-measure' glare and growled, "So, you're gonna stop me how? I have every right to see Captain Banks and there is *nothing* you can do to stop me."

Nurse Ratchett's smile increased ten-fold and the animalistic gleam in her eyes positively glowed as she snapped her fingers and two humongous orderlies who looked like they lived off of red meat – raw, red meat – flanked her. "You're right. I can't stop you, but these nice gentlemen can and will. So, you can either go quietly or my friends can hold you down while I administer a little sedative so that they can escort you with a minimum of fuss."

The anthropologist/observer was not stupid and he had a pretty good idea that any sedatives administered would not be done so without great pain. So, in deference to his already pained body, he gave in. "Fine, I'll go quietly, but I won't like it."

"Makes no difference to me, Mr. Sandburg, cause you're not one of my patients." She nodded to Lurch and Lug and they moved as one to either side of Blair. "Have a nice trip back to your ward and don't let me see you back here again."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The pretty Asian nurse smiled understandably and closed the door behind her. "It's okay. Trust me, I've had worse flung at me." She moved efficiently to his side and began to check his vitals. "Care to tell me what that outburst was all about?"

"Nobody around here will let me see this other patient. They say it's family members only."

"Oh, he must be on the surgical floor." She shrugged. "Sorry. That's hospital policy."

"But it's not right! I need to see him if only just to know for sure he's okay."

The nurse, whose nametag read 'Keitges,' shook her head sympathetically. "Believe me, I understand. If it were my friend, I'd be feeling the same way, but it is hospital policy. The administrators believe that family members only should have access to surgical patients. There's no way around it."

Blair couldn't believe these people. He thought back to him and Simon at the cave and what had been said between them and how he'd promised he'd make sure his friend was okay. The feelings of letting his friend down were back and he just couldn't get past them this time without seeing the older man for himself. *I have got to get in there to see him – no matter what. After everything he said to me in the cave, I… Wait a minute. Everything he said in the cave. That's it!* "But see that's what so bad about this. I *am* family!"

Nurse Keitges eyed her patient suspiciously. "That wasn't marked on your chart. It states clearly that you were brought in with a *companion.* An African American companion. What relation are you supposed to be?"

With his most innocent look, Sandburg turned on all of the charm. "He's my dad."

"Yeah, right." The pretty nurse answered as she rolled her eyes. "And I'm your sister."

"No, it's true! He is my dad." Grabbing his wallet from the table beside the bed, he quickly opened it to a picture of a positively beaming Simon with his arms around the shoulders of an equally happy Blair and Jim. "See, I just found out not too long ago." Sadly, "My grandparents didn't like the idea of their only daughter seeing him so they conspired with his folks to get him out of town and then they sent her away to live with an old aunt out of the country. My dad searched and searched for her, but he couldn't find her and he finally just gave up."

Blair figured a heartbreaking sigh would be perfect right about then and put his whole soul into it as he lowered his teary eyes. "Well, a few months ago, my mom came to visit me at my job and saw me talking with my boss. Imagine my surprise when she ran up to him and engulfed him in her arms and started going on and on about how she thought she'd lost him. They started talking and finally got back around to me and the rest is history." Looking out from underneath his lashes, he tried to gauge the woman's reactions. *Just to be on the safe side.* "Anyway, we've been taking these little trips here and there trying to get to know each other better and then this happens. Life's just not fair!"

"But why didn't you say something when you were checked in?"

Blair allowed his chin to quiver just a bit. "I didn't really think about it. I mean, this whole thing is all so new to me and with my own injuries, I…" He gave up with a frustrated head drop.

"It's okay. I think I understand." She looked back at the picture in front of her. "This is a great photo. Your dad really looks happy. You guys have the same smile."

Sandburg almost choked. "Uh, … ya think?"

"Definitely and I can see more of a resemblance around the eyes." Nurse Keitges pointed at Jim's smiling face. "Who's the other guy?"

"Oh, um, that's my … adopted big brother. My mom and I rescued him after he was almost run over by a … um … a garbage truck."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow." Employing his best pleading look that even worked on his Sentinel and a couple of tears left over from his frustration earlier, Blair went for the gold. "So, now that you know can I please see my dad?"

The sweet nurse seemed to be holding back a few tears of her own as she placed her hand on his shoulder in understanding. "Of course."

"But what about Nurse Ratchett?"

"You just sit back and relax and leave everything to me and you'll be in with your dad in no time."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He'd been surprised to find his friend looking better than he'd expected and it was enough to take the burden he'd been carrying off of his shoulders.

"So, Simon, did you miss me? Man, you are not gonna believe what I have had to go through to get in to see you. No one would keep me updated on your condition, so I had to plot and plan. Now that I'm here, I'm not sure I want to go back. It's kind of lonely down there." Blair sighed. "It's probably no problem for you cause you're out of it, but for me – well, let's just say I am definitely a social being who thrives better in 'people' situations.

"Jim's gonna be here in a bit. Joe said that the blasting messed up the roads and the storm stopped any helicopters from coming up tonight, but I'm sure come first light Jim will have harassed his way up here." He chuckled. "I can't wait for Jim and Joe to meet. They both seem like total tough guys and it'll be interesting to watch the dynamic. You've got to wake up so that you can see the interplay."

Blair yawned loudly, manoeuvred his chair closer to the bed and placed his arms next to Simon's uninjured leg. "Sorry about this, man, but I think everything is starting to catch up with me. If you don't mind, I'm just gonna catch a real quick nap here. I'll … talk to … you so-some … more in a bit."

Before his head was completely down on his arms, the young man was asleep.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

With a start, he was instantly alert and found himself staring into the smiling eyes of his captain. "Simon, you're awake."

"I'll give you points for stating the obvious, Sandburg," Simon answered tiredly. "Now, if you want the grand prize you'll tell me where we are."

The anthropologist had never been happier to hear the gruff tones of his friend. "We're at the Mountainview Hospital not too far from the reservation. Joe found us yesterday morning and got us here as soon as possible."

"You met Joe?"

"Yeah," Blair smiled. "He's a pretty great guy. He'd be here if he wasn't having to take care of Tribal business." He leaned over a bit more to really get a good look at his companion. "So, how ya doing?"

Simon winced a bit, but it was definitely an improvement from before. "I hurt, but I'll live." He returned the favour. "What about you?"

"I hurt, but I'll live – especially now that I know you're gonna be okay. You gave me a good scare, you know?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." The Captain glanced around the room. "So, where's Jim? I would have thought he'd be keeping a close eye on you."

"Well, he should be here any minute, but whether they let him in or not is another story. Have I got a tale to tell y…"

He was interrupted by the hurried arrival of Emily Keitges. "Sorry to do this to you guys, but Ratchett is on her way here. I managed to get some of the other nurses to monitor Mr. Banks during the night so that you could spend time together, but she always does the final rounds herself." Looking back towards the door, she grimaced. "If we hurry, we just might miss h…"

This time, *she* was interrupted by the arrival of the devil herself who didn't seem too pleased. "What is going on here?!"

Emily, being a truly wonderful person and nurse, stepped in between the other woman and Blair. "I brought Mr. Sandburg in to see Mr. Banks."

"And for what reason did you feel ignoring hospital policy was justified?"

"Because in this instance, we made a mistake. Mr. Sandburg *is* related to Mr. Banks."

Nurse Ratchett crossed her arms across her ample chest. "Oh, this should be good. Please enlighten me as to how they are related."

"Mr. Banks is Mr. Sandburg's father."

The older woman rolled her eyes. "What? Young lady, I don't know where you received your nursing degree, but obviously they didn't teach you to observe the obvious. Have you taken a good look at this so-called 'father and son?' I'm not buying it and if you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't either." She moved further into the room. "Now, you are going to take Mr. Sandburg back to his room and then meet me back here so that we can go to your supervisor together and discuss your problem with hospital policy."

Blair couldn't stand the thought of Emily getting in trouble because of him so he figured he should probably come clean. "Look, don't blame Nurse Keitges. It wasn't her fault. I told her that Simon was my dad because…"

"I am," Simon added from his bed.

Three sets of eyes turned to look at the man in surprise. "Mr. Banks, you are not helping matters by trying to cover for these two."

"And, Madame, you're not helping matters by saying my son is not my son." Painfully, Simon raised up a bit and glared at the nurse who'd suddenly gone pale. "And what are you meaning by 'observing the obvious'? I don't know where *you* received your nursing degree but genetics can be a real crapshoot. You know, dominant and recessive genes – never knowing what combinations you might come up with.

"Now, *I* would suggest you hurry on back to doing whatever you do and leave me and my son to ourselves before I have to question the hospital on what kind of nurses they have working here."

As quickly as she could, the older nurse left the captain's room without a backward glance. Emily couldn't stop the little giggle that worked its way out as the door closed. "That was definitely worth working the 11-7 shift. Thank you guys. You don't know how much you've just made my day." She locked eyes with Blair. "I can give you another hour, but you really need to be back in your room by next shift so that the doctor can assess you. If all goes well, he'll be releasing you today."

Blair was grateful. "Thanks, Emily. This really meant a lot to me."

"Like I said, it was my pleasure. I'm a real sucker for family moments." She headed for the door. "Don't forget, one hour."

After the young nurse left, Sandburg turned back to Simon. "Thanks to you too, man. That could have turned out really badly for Emily."

"Care to tell me what I just got dragged into? Purely for defence purposes of course. I mean, just in case they check blood types and what not."

Blair smiled, "Sorry to disappoint you, but even if they check our types, they'll find we're the same. I learned yours and Jim's a while ago, just in case." Seeing Simon's glare turned on him, he quickly filled his friend in on what had caused him to start claiming Banks bloodlines. "So, in order to get in here to see you, I had to let her believe I was your son. It was all pretty innocent."

The older man nodded, "Sounds like it, though I was a little worried at first that this whole thing was so that you could get a date."

"Oh come on, Simon. You don't really think I'd come up with something as extravagant as all that just for a date, do you?" When no response came from the other man, Blair was stunned. "I'm not that bad." Still no response. "I'm not."

Banks rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."

"So you've finally succumbed to the will of Sandburg, eh Simon?" A voice commented from the door.

Both men turned to greet Jim as he lounged against the door. Blair was relieved to see the detective smiling. "Hey, man, welcome to the party. We missed having you around the last couple of days."

"Mainly because you would have smelled the explosives three counties away and saved us both a trip here," Simon deadpanned.

Jim let the door close and made his way to the chair beside Blair. With practised ease, he swung the chair around and straddled it so he could rest his arms on the back. "I can't believe you two ended up in a hospital from a harmless little camping trip."

"And why is that? You and Sandburg can't even run simple errands or return from parties without a major catastrophe happening. Why should my being added to the equation make things any different?"

"Well, by nature of your position, you should be able to avoid most of the stuff we find ourselves in." He thought about something. "Mainly cause you're usually the one who sends us into most of it."

"Oh, so now you're blaming me? Hello! Have you forgotten that I am the injured party here?"

Jim grinned, "Not hardly considering they used that wonderful light blue plaster cast stuff on you." Choking back his laughter, he did his best to avoid his captain's eyes. "Gonna have a hard time coordinating your wardrobe with those little accessories, Sir."

Simon could only stare menacingly as his two friends broke out in laughter at his predicament. "Laugh now, children, but payback can be a bitch and since I also once worked in Vice, so can I."

Having seen a few pictures of those days, Jim sobered quickly and shivered at the thought of his boss' "other" persona, Jackie, showing up and terrorising his life. "No harm meant, Captain. You know we love you, right?" He couldn't miss the look his friend aimed at him and decided that a change of subject was probably a pretty good idea. "So, would one of you guys like to tell me what happened?"

"Yeah, in a minute, Jim, but first how did you manage to get in here?" Blair had to know.

Jim shrugged, "The front desk let me know what wing Simon was on and when I made it here, I asked these two nurses if they could point out the room. One of them looked like she was about to pass out at the mention of Simon's name and the other one just grinned and winked at me and pointed me here." He shook his head. "Funny thing is, when I turned in this direction, I could have sworn the shorter of the nurses whispered to the other that I was the brother or something." Seeing the look that passed between his two friends, the Sentinel leaned forward. "You guys wouldn't know anything about that, now would you?"

"Well, now, that's a long story."

"It would seem I have lots of time if I've got to wait on you two to get better."

Simon shook his head and rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Then may I suggest you get comfortable cause some of the greatest storytellers in the world have nothing on your partner."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Simon smiled tiredly. "Yeah, you could say that."

"You know, it was kind of interesting watching you guys tell the story. I was impressed with how you seemed to gel. What happened?"

"He really came through for me up there, Jim. He fixed me up after the explosion, got me someplace safe during the storm and watched out for me when I was completely out of it." Simon paused for a moment. "You know I'm not normally the type who likes to give up control, even when I'm injured, but, I had no problems letting him be the strong one cause I knew he could do it - and he did. You would have been proud of him. I know I am."

Jim nodded as he smiled at his friend's words. "Sounds to me like you came out of this with more than just a few broken bones and bruises."

As he thought back through the last few days and all that he and Blair had said and gone through together, he couldn't fight the secret smile he normally reserved for when he was thinking about Daryl. "Oh, yeah. I'd say I came out of this with more. Just a bit more."

The End